The Demon who Murdered Christmas
by Sasuke-KiraLover
Summary: She's curious about him, The Demon. He's rumored to have no heart. But what she finds is a boy just trying to prove how much love he truly has while battling with the vicious demon inside of him. "I can love you, Gaara." - "No one can love me." - "I can."
1. In Fate's Hands

**The Demon who Murdered Christmas**

**Chapter one: In fate's hands.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Kishimoto-san is the rightful owner. Nor do I own anything that might resemble The Grinch. No copy write intended.**

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><p>She simply could not understand it. Christmas and The Demon, I mean. Her mother always told her that around Christmas time, everyone was to show love and care. Yet, The Demon lived up in the mountains in his sandy cave. No one ever mentioned him, and when someone did, it was not a friendly word. It had always been that way, for as long as she could remember. People were downright vicious about him. From a young age she was warned about his evil, shriveled up heart and his complete disregard for humans.<p>

That's right; they've gone so far as to deny him as a human. He was The Demon, they said, he was nothing more but maybe less.

Sakura clutched her heart as she watched the sun rise above the steep, dry sand mountains. She had never seen him, never talked to him, or even heard word of what he was up to. But she felt a connection to him, somewhere in her bountiful heart and every time she sat awake, unable to sleep because of the constant ache that'd grown stronger since she turned sixteen, she thought of him and how much hurt he must be going through. How much rejection, how much pain, and how much anger he must feel towards the world. How many times had he lashed out, shed tears, cried himself to sleep? Had he ever hurt himself? Was he completely alone up there?

And the thing that made Sakura's heart clench even more? He was only sixteen as well. How anyone could hate someone was beyond her, but this world has hated him ever since he was born. She heard he killed his mother in birth. It really isn't uncommon that mother's die from the strain of giving birth, why was this any different? Sakura felt a pull towards him and the mountain. It grew stronger every day. Today, though, Sakura decided she was going to go up and see what he was really about. She had no fear, and no hesitation. She pulled on her day clothes, a pair of snug jeans and a plain green t-shirt. Then her climbing boots, and headed for the door.

He hated the sun. It was bright and cheerful and very welcoming. He was completely opposite to that ball of burning fire. Besides the fact that he, like the sun, was sure to explode horrendously at some point. His sea green eyes swept the landscape he lived in. The highest peak on Mt. Watazaki. Snow used to be plentiful in this region, but the year he moved up here, snow stopped coming. Sand, sand he could control, took its place.

He felt weird today, to say the least. He sat on the ledge of the mountain, nearly shaking in anticipation. He hadn't been this excited since- …since someone came up the mountain. Quickly, almost panicky, he stood and entered his cave, a door of sand building itself behind him. He walked down the dark tunnel he knew too well, into a cavern-like room. Furniture made of sand was littered messily around the large space. Bags of junk food he'd stolen from the local stores littered the room. With one sweep of his hand, the sand had gathered the garbage and took it to the chute he'd made.

If someone really was coming to see him, he needed to prepare. Last time, he lost control and killed the young boy who had an adventurous streak. That'd been nearly three years ago, though. He closed his eyes and exhaled.

"I won't lose control this time, mother. This time will be different."

Sakura was panting and sweating in the late morning sun. She'd sped off in such a hurry that she forgot to pack water. Not to mention food and a first aid kit. But she was doing fine, over half-way up the mountain and mused that she'd reach the peak in maybe two hours. She sat on a rather large rock and sighed, resting her muscles. Suddenly, a rustling noise came from above her head. She hurriedly ducked, only to narrowly avoid getting hit over the head by a dozen or so empty potato chip bags. Sakura looked back the way they came and raised a brow.

"Odd," she muttered.

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><p><strong>AN: I did my best to proof read, but I wrote this rather quickly, so please if you see any errors, tell me in a review. I'm sure there are many. **

**Other thing, thanks for reading and please leave a review! If you don't want to, that's fine, thanks for stopping by! **

**See you next time, -S-KL. **


	2. In A Cave

**The Demon who Murdered Christmas**

**Chapter two: In a Cave.**

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><p>It was weird, this feeling. He definitely knew someone was coming up the mountain now, his sand had become more agitated and wary, and the demon inside of him was…excited. He knew she was female, and he knew she was human. The demon fully intended on ripping her to pieces. Gaara, on the other hand, blatantly refused his demonic beast. He would not allow one more person to die at his bloody hands.<p>

It was nearly one in the afternoon now, judging by the location of the sun. With his heightened sense of smell, he could tell she was close, way closer than he was prepared for. His breathing was shallow. He knew she was just outside his door of sand and was probably hesitating. You don't just march into the cave of a supposed demon and hope to live. Maybe she would turn away. Half of him screamed in outrage (the demon half) and the other half sighed miserably, thinking he would never know what love was.

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><p>Sakura reached the peak of the mountain where a curve hung over what appeared to be a door of sand. She hesitantly placed her hand on the sandy door, feeling the grainy texture of the smooth red sand shift softly, curiously around her hand. The door seemed to open itself, slowly swinging open to reveal a dark tunnel. She knew what was in there. The Demon. Was she scared? Beyond terrified.<p>

She exhaled and inhaled determination as she stepped right into the dark tunnel, only flinching when her only light source disappeared with the slamming of sand on rock. Her footing faltered only for a moment. The corridor seemed short and soon she burst into a dimly lit living room type area. Sand furniture littered around, and immediately she was aware that a boy was staring at her.

First at her general appearance. Then, predictably, at her pink hair. It was pink, she couldn't blame him. He took particularly long just staring at her face, her eyes, lips, and nose. He then shamelessly, as if he didn't know any better, let his eyes scrutinize her all the way down.

Sakura, though, was naïve as well. The boys in her village didn't bother her much and she never really got complimented on her looks like other girls. She was average, but there was nothing wrong with that.

Gaara thought far different. From her exotic pink hair and apple green eyes, to her subtle womanly curves and tight stomach, she looked good enough to eat (according to his Shukaku) and he suddenly forgot what he was going to say to her. He blinked. She blinked. She shifted forward, he flinched.  
>"Erm," she stuttered awkwardly. "I like your eyes." She blurted, and immediately whipped a hand to her mouth. He blinked again.<p>

"I'm sorry," she began to ramble, "it's just, they're so green…or are they blue? I don't know, they keep switching! You look kind of like a panda, you know. Wow your hair is really red. I like it, is it soft-" Sakura had begun to reach out to touch his hair when a small wave of sand pushed her hand away gently. She stopped talking. He blinked at her again.

Suddenly, her brow set. She reached her hand out again, only to have the sand push her away again. And again she tried, only to be shoved back a bit more forcefully this time. She looked troubled. "Quit it," her irritated, childish voice served to amuse him a bit.

"I don't control it." He replied softly. Sakura was a little taken aback by the suave smoothness of his voice. It was like butter. She smiled a little at him.

"Then who does?" She questioned. Her green eyes held laughter, as if she thought he was joking. But they also held intense wonder, and curiosity. She wanted to know how he could move sand.

"The demon inside of me," he said. He waited for her to show any sign of rejection, but she only continued to question him about how he moved it. He told her he didn't know, he just did.

Sakura moved her hand slowly towards Gaara, careful to keep her eyes on his. Seconds passed. Suddenly, Sakura had his hand in hers, much to his bewilderment. No one had touched him before, ever. The sand never allowed it. And yet this pink haired curiosity was sitting on his couch of sand, holding his hand and chatting away like she knew him dearly.

She was weird.

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><p><strong>AN: Okay, things I should PROBABLY resolve. The chapters are most likely going to remain short, so I can therefore update quicker. These first few (maybe five) chapters are going to hold no meaning whatsoever to the plotline besides building a beginning and satisfying my need for cute cluelessness. **

**No, we are NOT based in the normal Naruto world, this is AU. I'm not quite sure where we are actually. A desert. Doesn't matter that much at the moment. **

**Until next time! Merry Christmas. -S-KL.**


	3. Waking To You

**The Demon who Murdered Christmas. **

**Chapter Three: Waking To You.**

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><p>Sakura woke in a very warm place, but still felt cold. A breeze ran across her legs and arms. Slowly, her black rimmed emerald eyes fluttered open. Immediately, she was aware of two things. One, she had fallen asleep in the sand cave. Two, Gaara's large hand was holding her small waist to his in a tight embrace. Taking note of his even breathing, it seemed he was asleep. Sakura thought that was odd, because just last night he had told her that his demon never allowed him to sleep.<p>

She turned around gently in his surprisingly strong arms. As she thought, his eyes were cold. She studied his sleeping face. Every so often his thick lashes fluttered against his cheeks, his mouth was closed and he looked extremely peaceful. Sakura leaned her head forward and rested it on his chest, leaning her lips up to kiss his jaw lazily a few times.

The reaction to her movements shocked her, as soon as she had made contact with his jaw, she was on her back. Gaara was pinning her to the sand bed in every way possible. After a few seconds of thinking he realized she was no threat, and relaxed, but didn't move.

"How were you sleeping?" Sakura questioned, not registering his possible attack at all. She had a strange sense of calm with him, even when he threatened her.

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><p>Her question made him sigh inwardly and the Shukaku within him purr with delight. Shukaku liked Sakura, he thought she was interesting. Being able to trust a demon without knowing anything about him. He thought she was admirably brave. He also liked her body, but he wouldn't go into details. "Shukaku likes you. So he let me sleep with you." Gaara answered simply. Sakura seemed to except that and suddenly grabbed him around the stomach and pulled him down onto her into a tight hug. Gaara held his breath for all he was worth. Her ample chest was pressed against his, he was sure she could feel his skittering heartbeat. After a few moments he felt her lips on his jaw again, the same feeling that woke him up. His heartbeat skyrocketed and the Shukaku purred once again. Without even thinking he angled his head down and caught her lips in a kiss so powerful he actually stopped breathing.<p>

'**She's wonderful, isn't she?' **The Shukaku growled, and as much as Gaara hated him, he couldn't help but agree. She tasted like wild blueberries, contrary to the belief that she tasted like strawberries or cherries that he once had. Suddenly a thought occurred to him. He pulled away from her soft kisses and calm exterior.

"What about your parents?" He had only just realized she'd been with him for a little less than twenty four hours. Someone must be wondering where she was. She shook her head and looked at him levelly. It appeared she was long over something. "They died a couple of years ago. They got caught in a sandstorm." Gaara wished he felt something, but he didn't. He just nodded and discreetly pulled her closer.

"I don't think anyone would care if I just…disappeared." She whispered then, and he felt something he wished he'd felt a moment ago. A little twinge in his heart that he only got when he thought of the little boy he killed or whenever he went in town, how the people glared at him with disgust.

"That's where we differ," he started, rolling over onto his back and pulling her into his side. "If I disappeared, the villagers would party like they lived past the end of the world."

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><p><strong>AN: Hello! Here's another short update! I think it's adorable, but y'know I wrote it so. **

**Thanks to everyone reading, love you guys!**


	4. I'll Go With You

**The Demon who Murdered Christmas.**

**Chapter Four: I'll go with you.**

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><p>They sat together in silence as the sun set on the warm desert. They were hardly half a foot apart, but too shy to actually touch each other. The half-moon rolled up into the sky fairly quickly and Sakura fell back with a 'Whoosh.' The stars were very bright and visible. It seemed impossible that she had so much clarity of them, when just down the mountain they were so difficult to watch.<p>

Perspective changes a lot of things, she thought, discreetly watching Gaara as he also lowered himself to the ground beside her.

And there they stayed for hours. Just lying down and watching the moon travel, watching the stars faintly flicker. Eventually, Sakura suggested they turn in, as the desert around them was cooling quickly. Gaara nodded and helped her up with an offered hand.

Gaara threw a question at her once the sand door was formed and they were walking side by side in the narrow hallway. "When are you going to leave me?"

Now, if he had asked it a little less personally (like, "when are you leaving?") she would not have hesitated in answering, but when he put it that way…one could not just fire an answer back. His tone was soft and reluctant, making it clear that he dreaded her answer.

"…I planned to leave tomorrow." Her voice was strong but quiet. Gaara whipped his head her way, looking entirely lost and afraid of those words.

"But, Sakura…" Gaara frowned. Sakura hated seeing him upset, so naturally she said the first thing that came to mind. "You can come with me if you want."

Gaara said nothing. He didn't blink. He didn't move. He continued to stare straight into her soul while standing in the middle of his living room. "**Do it.**" Shukaku murmured, and Gaara felt the demon decide. If Gaara didn't go, something bad was going to happen. And Shukaku would put him through Hell. And he didn't even want to say no to Sakura. It was just…

He hadn't left the mountain for good…ever. He'd always just go down for food and other things, but he had never stayed more than a few hours. People got suspicious of his hooded figure. But to go down into the village with Sakura, straight into a hungry lion's den…that sounded like insanity.

But for some reason he agreed. "Okay."

"W-what?" Sakura, apparently, didn't think he would agree so quickly. He knew where she was coming from. Gaara said okay a few more times, each time taking a step closer to her until she was right in front of him.

"Okay, Sakura. I'll go with you." He whispered, and leaned down to kiss her forehead softly. She leaned up and kissed him, not passionate or hard. She just kissed him, then sauntered off (making more of a show than she needed to, mind you) to his bedroom.

Shukaku couldn't think straight right then. He was aroused. And, unfortunately, Gaara got the side effects. He sighed and made his way to the bathroom, waving off Sakura's questions.

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><p><strong>AN: Thank you for everything! I'm hoping you like it.**

**There was actually a different chapter that I wrote about a week ago that was very...sensual. And that wasn't quiet the way I wanted to take the story...well, not yet anyway. So I posted this instead. Enjoy? **


	5. Flying High

**The Demon who Murdered Christmas.**

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><p>"I don't think so." Sakura said stubbornly, crossing her thin arms over her chest and popping her hip out for emphasis. Gaara didn't know why, but she always did the same things when she was refusing to do something. She took that very pose, set her facial features to complete defiance, lit a fierce fire in her green eyes, and tapped her right foot like she was just daring him to disagree with her.<p>

"I assure you, it's perfectly safe." Gaara defended his case again, almost sure he was fighting a losing battle. "It is how I've always gotten to and from the village."

"_By yourself_," She said the words very slowly. "But have you ever tried it with another person? I don't think so." She left no room for argument. Shukaku was growing impatient with his mate.

"You don't think so?" He questioned with a small smirk. She didn't like it one bit, the boy was planning something. Sure enough, she was correct. He lunged for her, which wasn't hard since they were only a couple of feet apart, but with her quick reaction time, she slipped right through his fingers and took off towards the door, but he was faster and had her by the leg before she knew what happened.

She plopped into his waiting arms and again, before she could think he was kissing her. He stole her breath every time, and he wasn't even trying. When she opened her eyes she wasn't in the cave, but on a familiar road. It was empty in the morning sun, and Gaara was looking down at her, blue/green eyes reflecting so beautifully in the sunlight that she couldn't help but get lost in his gaze for just a minute.

She was so beautiful, he thought, so beautiful and smart and just…perfect. As he stared into her shaded, blemish-free slightly-tanned face, he gave the most genuine smile he had in a while and stepped away from her.

She tugged on his hand to a house directly across the street; it had a flower box with two huge plants growing from it. A cactus sat near her doorstep along with a fern tree. The house itself was small and homey looking, just from the outside. An unexplainable smell wafted from the house, inviting him in.

She pulled her keys out and chose the red painted one, accessing the house with ease. Once the door was pushed open a torrent of noises startled Gaara. One of the few he could recognize was the chirping of a bird. Sakura removed her sandals in the foyer and he followed her example. She smiled up at him so big he thought her face would crack. Then she grabbed his hand and pulled him in.

Gaara was immediately startled by a furry creature crawling around them quickly, prodding him and making odd noises. Sakura squeezed his hand and her eyes calmed him down.

"I have a cat and a parakeet as well." Sakura said. Gaara had never heard of such things, and told her so. Sakura was a little surprised and giggled, "That's odd, you were rumored to feast upon the stray cats of the town when I was younger."

Gaara wrinkled his nose. He was a vegetarian, first of all, and second, the creature was nothing but hair!

Sakura laughed harder at his silly expression and, even if he was repulsed, gave a small smile at her lovely laugh.

Sakura picked the "cat" up and introduced it as "Link." It was large and had long fluffy fur, an odd shade of grey with large blue eyes.

Sakura passed him the beast and he gingerly grabbed it. The cat mewled at him and he made a small sound back, causing Sakura to raise a brow. Usually her little boy got along with everybody, but he seemed rather tense about Gaara. They made noises back and forth twice before Link growled and wiggled out of Gaara's hold hissing and scampering away. Gaara looked affronted.

"You can speak to my cat?" Sakura asked. Gaara shook his head no.

"My Shukaku can. He feels threatened by your cat."

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><p><strong>Thank you so much for reading and everything else! <strong>

**I'm sorry it took over a month for me to post this chapter, I feel really terrible. Hopefully this'll make up for it just a little? **

**Much love.**

**-S-KL.**


	6. There's So Much Beauty In A Storm

**The Demon who Murdered Christmas.**

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><p>"We need to work on a disguise for you." Sakura said, after a moment of ogling Gaara's naked chest, the rain stabbing the roof repeatedly. Gaara was toweling his hair dry while another rested precariously low on his thin hips, in danger of falling off. It didn't look like he cared much.<p>

"What did you have in mind?" He asked, throwing the towel back into the bathroom and into them hamper. "Dying my hair, calling me Sir Nicholas?"

Sakura giggled. Since she'd met Gaara, he'd grown a bit of a sarcastic tone. She couldn't say it didn't amuse her.

"No, nothing drastic; just a change of wardrobe and relation." Sakura grins slyly at him. Sakura's brother, Sasori, moved out a year and a half ago, to explore the world. Fortunately, Gaara is the spitting image of Sasori, only with slight alterations that'd be difficult to see by just passing by. And Sasori left a majority of his clothing here when he left.

"Relation?" He didn't need clarification on the wardrobe. But what on earth could she mean by changing relation?  
>"Gaara, you are now my brother Sasori." Stubborn hands on her stubborn hips proved she wasn't going to change her mind. Gaara didn't argue. She knew best and if he had to pretend he was her brother in the short time they were in public, so be it.<p>

Gaara moved towards Sakura, the moon glinting off the water droplets on his chest that'd fallen from his still-damp hair.

She pushed back until she was against the headboard, and Gaara was at her naked knees. She was only in large t-shirt and panties. He smirked at her, sending her heart flying and only then did she notice that one, his towel had been abandoned, leaving her to see his blatant erection, and two that he intended on doing something with it. Suddenly she felt like a mouse realizing she had been caught in the sneaky cat's trap.

He inched a little closer, and she ducked under him, being small enough to barely slip through, and then she ran for the kitchen. He followed closely.

They circled each other around the island in the kitchen. Sakura had picked up a basket of fresh strawberries, and Gaara had attained spray-able whip cream. (He'd found out he loved it earlier.)

Sakura made the first move, and threw a strawberry right at his forehead. It bounced off and she giggled a little. She ran so fast that she was slipping on the floor to the basement, which was set up with dim lighting and plush red carpet. Beds and couches and chairs were littered everywhere, this was typically where she invited people to if they came over. Now it turned into a bit of a horror scene as she tried to find a hiding place before Gaara came down.

Eventually she found the largest bed, and hid under it, prepared to attack at a moment's notice. Slowly, ever so slowly, Gaara's footsteps made themselves known.

Sakura formed a plan quickly. As soon as Gaara started looking, she'd make a run for the stairs and hopefully make it to her room before he does. But as she pulled herself from under the bed, she realized her plan had already failed when she sees Gaara, in all his glory, sitting atop the bed she'd hidden under. Heart stops. Gaara grins. Sakura realizes her shirt had caught on a bed spring and ripped right down the front, leaving herself very open.

Sakura flung herself around the bed, only to have Gaara pounce on her and bring her to the cushy floor. "No more running, Kitten." Gaara no longer had the whip cream. One relief.

"No more running." Sakura repeated, panting and gasping with the effort of evading this event that is sure to come. What is already pressing against a particularly sensitive area of her womanly feature, starts grinding against her, leaving her gasping every few seconds, and her eyes glazed.

"Don't pretend like you don't want this." He growls in a voice that belongs to two beings. He leans down and kisses her forehead, then pulls away and smiles playfully at her, offering a hand.

She accepts, now knowing Shukaku had only intended to dominate her.

He pulls her to her bed, and then leaves for the bathroom.

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><p><strong>AN: I'm sorry this has taken so long, and I thank Hanyou-Chan for prompting me to get to it. I wrote this as soon as I woke up, so let me know how bad it sucks, I'm sure it's no good. Review for your mastah.**


	7. Where Have You Been?

**The Demon who Murdered Christmas. **

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><p>"She's been gone for two days," Gaara said to Link solemnly. His heart constricted in his chest, beating slower than it ever had before. "Does this happen a lot?"<p>

The feline's intelligent blue eyes seemed to match his feelings. "No." Shukaku translated from the original mewl. Gaara buried his head in his hands.

It hadn't been that serious, really. Lately Gaara and Sakura had been fighting, because it was really the only way they could communicate anymore. Sakura was always in a foul mood, snapping at him for even breathing too loudly. And Gaara always rose to the challenge, even instigating some fights, his temper flying out the window at the drop of a hat.

This most recent fight had been over the top and all together, the worst so far. Gaara had gone out for a drink at a local bar while Sakura slept. He'd encountered an interesting woman, and she wrote an address on his hand, told him to stop by later. So he did, and when he came home (in the middle of the night) Sakura was awake and waiting.

He recalled her eerie calm.

"_What's up, Gaara?" She'd asked, taking a sip of her tea and looking off, out the window. Her eyes were rimmed with red, like she was fighting off tears, but that was the only indication that she wasn't okay. _

"_Just getting home. Did you sleep okay?" He asked even though it was obvious that she didn't. She placed her fine tea cup down and turned to look him in the eye. _

"_Perfectly," she said. Gaara nodded hesitantly. The tension was sending Shukaku into kill mode and he could feel the hairs rising on the back of his neck. _

"_Perfect." Gaara murmured. Slowly, ever so slowly, Sakura rose from the kitchen counter and sauntered over to him. He steeled himself. Her green eyes were dark with suspicion as they scrutinized him up and down._

_Suddenly, he was all too aware of his ruffled hair and clothes, the lipstick residue on his lips, the hickeys on his neck, and the satisfied gleam in his eye. Sakura seemed to notice all of those things and more, he realized, as she stepped into his personal bubble (which almost caused him to growl at her) and inhaled deeply from his chest._

_Almost immediately she hopped away from him like he was on fire. Then her eyes turned cold, like ice. "Were you with another girl, Gaara?" _

"_Yes." Gaara answered without hesitation. Sakura recoiled even further. "Her name was Ambrosia-""I DON'T CARE WHAT HER BLOODY NAME IS!" Sakura blew up, taking three angered steps towards him, her finger poking his chest furiously, "I care that you were with her in the first place!" _

_Gaara blanched at this, like she could tell him who he could be with! "And why shouldn't I be?" He shouted, shoving her hand away from him with a wave of sand that came from no where. _

"_Oh, I don't know," Sakura hissed with fake thought, "BECAUSE I SAID YOU COULDN'TBE!" _

"_Never have you told me 'Gaara, no having sex with Ambrosia!'" He imitated her voice horribly. _

"_I didn't think I'd have to!" She roared, pushing him back furiously, "but apparently I have to mother you about these things! So you don't go around sticking your dick in everything that breathes!" _

"_I do not!" Gaara defended haughtily. _

"_Oh really?" Sakura raised an eyebrow, "this is the third time you've came home in the middle of the night in the past five days, and each time you've smelled like a cheap whore and beer!" _

_Gaara opened and closed his mouth, looking remarkably like a fish out of water, his face was beet red. Sakura looked at him challengingly, but he couldn't deny it. It was true._

_A look of pure triumph crossed her face. "I wouldn't be surprised if you've caught something by now. Glad I never let you touch me-" _

_The moment the words were out of her mouth, a wave of sand knocked her off of her feet, and knocked the smirk right off of her face. When her vision cleared of grainy crystals and pain, Gaara was holding her by the arms to the wall, rattling her and screaming nonsense. _

_Sakura slowly came out of her pained state only to dive headfirst into anger. She growled angrily and clawed at Gaara's hands until he let go and once he did she started screaming back at him until they were face to face, just screaming about how much they hated each other and wished the other would die. _

"_AND YOU- CALLING THE GIRLS I SLEEP WITH WHORES WHEN YOU BRING HOME A DIFFERENT MAN EVERY NIGHT AND CLAIM TO BE AN INNOCENT LITTLE GIRL WHEN IN REALITY YOU'RE A BIGGER SLUT THEN ANY WOMAN I COULD EVER PICK UP AT A BAR!" Gaara roared and Sakura froze in her rant about how Gaara ate too much and just stared at him while he continued to tell her about how much of a cheap whore she was. It wasn't even the fact that we was calling her one, the point was, he didn't care about her at all…so why was she still here? The annoying feelings from earlier returned and she shook her head slowly, causing Gaara to come back to earth. He looked horrified. _

_Minutes of silence rolled by and Sakura felt a year roll down her cheek. Gaara watched it, silently, solemnly. He opened his mouth, then closed it. When he tried to reach out to her, she flinched away. Only then did he notice that scrapes and cuts littering her skin from the sand he'd thrown at her. _

"_Sakura…" Gaara whispered, but she was already running towards the door. "WAIT!" He called out just as the door slammed. _

_He sank to the floor and clutched at his head desperately. Then he screamed, a loud, anguished sob of a scream. _

Gaara stared at his hands. No matter what he did, it always ended up with someone getting hurt.

No matter who he loved, they always ran away from him.

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><p><strong>AN: Well that was interesting to write. I've always found fighting a good story builder. **

**Anyway, perhaps you're upset that it's been over two months since the last update. I have excuses, but we'll just chalk it up to my laptop has crashed and burned (literally) and I'm as sick as, well, a really sick person. **

**Also, Chapter Six is the bain of my existense. I didn't mean for that to be so crude. I wrote it at four in the morning, when I had woken up from a bad dream. So, once I finish up this story I will be replacing it with something less...terrible.**

**Now if you'll notice I AM BACK. And it is summer and this chapter is twice/thrice the length of my other chapters. Enjoy it while it lasts.**

**Until next time, S-KL!**


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